Pages

The competition I recently ran for a wax burner and a box of bakery melts ended at midnight, and after putting the details of everyone who had entered onto a spreadsheet and assigning each entrant a number I used random.org to pick a winner. The winner was
Vikki.

PostPals allows people from the public such as yourself to log on and find a 'Pal' in one of the children listed on the site. The beautiful children on the site are all such strong, brave children who have debilitating illnesses and conditions. Unfortunately not all of the children survive but by visiting the site and choosing a 'Pal' who you can send letters, cards, toys and presents to, you guarantee that even on dark days when they are not at their best you will bring a smile to their faces. You are also able to send letters and gifts to the siblings of Pals lifted on the site, as it can be equally as tough for them to see their brother and sister seriously ill.

Please do take a look at the site and choose a Pal. The children are listed in name, age and condition order. You don't have to spend a fortune to put a smile on their faces, a letter or card would be equally as welcome. The only difficulty is choosing which little angel to write to.

Posted by
Ikkle87

Monday, 31 May 2010

Ok, so I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to go and see SATC 2 and I thought I would write a little blog about it, no spoilers I promise.

We arrived at the Vue cinema in Kirkstall, which was to say the least HECTIC! As we entered the cinema both me and my nan were given a huge tub of popcorn and a drink of diet coke big enough to go swimming in.

The film itself has already received bad reviews from a lot of the press, I'm not quite sure it was all called for at all. Admittedly there were points where the gag lines felt forced and the movie seemed a little slow but on the whole the film was comical with lots of laughs, quirky jokes and plenty of tongue in cheek. All as you expect from Sex and the City. The storylines were new and fresh for the characters and brought a whole new insight into who Carrie, Miranda, Sam and Charlotte really are. There were parts of them that were revealed in the film, that I am sure each and every woman in the audience could relate to, hey even a couple of men too. It showed the characters as real people who still manage to look absolutely stunning and gorgeous, although there were a few outfits that had me go 'Woah! Seriously??' but then who am I to judge, I've never owned a designer label in my life.

The film is funny and witty, the women are gorgeous, the men phwoar and the storyline is well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend you give it a chance, don't believe all the negative press. I think the press are trying to put Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte on a pedestal and want them to be untouchable, they don't want the average Mrs Joe Bloggs to feel they can be successful, sexy and beautiful it undermines our need for men, although if your anything like Samantha you need them for a thing or two ;-)

Friday, 28 May 2010

On the 4th February 2010 I joined my local slimming world group. I weighed in at 25 stone 10.5lb. My BMI was 46.2, medically speaking I was morbidly obese.

Yesterday was my 16th weigh in.

I weighed in at 22 stone 2lb.

That has meant a total loss so far of 3 stone 8.5lb. Bringing my BMI down from 46.2 to 39.8. I am no longer morbidly obese, I am simply obese. That may not seem like a big achievement to many but to me it is progress and a step forward.

Slimming World give you an award (it's a shiny sticker) for every half stone you lose, for if you have lost the most in class that week and also if you have lost the most in class that month.

You will notice there is also an award for Club 10. That is when you lose 10% of your start weight.I have lost 14% of my start weight. With the loss of 10% I have:1.Lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke2.Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.3.Lower blood cholesterol levels which are associated with increased risk from heart disease.4.Reduce strain on the joints and improve back and joint pain.5.Your lungs function better and reduce breathlessness.6. Improve mood and self-esteem.7. Improve asthma and reduce the need for medication.8. Become more mobile, making it easier to be more active.9. Improve fertility and menstrual problems10. Reduce the risk of certain obesity-related cancers

My losses average out at just over 3lb a week and I am really pleased with that. Some weeks I lost more, some weeks I lost less. By losing 50.5lb I feel much better in myself but I know that I still have a long way to go. I would ideally like my 4 stone award by my mums birthday. Her birthday is on the 26th June, that gives me 4 weeks to lost 5.5lb. I did originally say I wanted my 5 stone award for my birthday, but thats wrong. I know it will be hard work, and I am not shy of a challenge but I would love to get my 6 stone award if possible. There is 13 more weigh in's till my birthday. 2 stone 5.5lb to go to the 6 stone point. Thats 33.5lb in 13 weeks, so I need to be aiming for just over 2.5 lb a week. Eek. I'm not sure if I can do it. I shall definately be giving it a go though. I bought a 12 week countdown today, which basically means I paid for 10 in advance and got 2 free. Let's hope they keep me on the straight and narrow.

Posted by
Ikkle87

Thursday, 27 May 2010

I just had a semi succesful bath :-) It would have been absolutely fanbloodytastic but I used my Oatifix face mask from Lush and it must have been too warm in my bathroom cos it just seemed to resemble baby sick/food whilst in my hands and on my face. Kind of mushy and sloppy and not nice. Which is a shame as I usually love it and it is great for my eczema too.

I normally use a bubble bar in the bath but wanted to keep it kinda simple tonight so used an Ex Factor from Lush to get a gorgeous coloured water. Mixed it with a So White for an appletising scent. (Pun intended)

Then I used the yummy scrummy Carina Shower Cream in The Wolf and The Cold One. It's even better than the perfume! The scent has really lasted on my skin, and I really am in love with it. I'd really like to smell this on a man so I may have to find one somewhere (don't all rush at once) just to see what this is like on a guy as I think it would be lovely and maybe possibly just make me melt a little.

I washed my hair with my regular apple shampoo and then conditioned it with a little beauty that arrived today.

TOMMYGUNS Fig. Plum & Marshmallow Conditioner. Its a 250ml bottle and retails at £4.99 a bottle. Apparently you can only get it in the likes of Waitrose and Sainsbury's and a few other high-er end retailers.

The little blurb at the bottom of the bottle says
"This is a beautiful dream, a conditioner that can calm & smooth both your hair and your emotions"

I found it a little hard to get out of the bottle at first but I think that's because it is a square bottle. The actual texture of the conditioner is really thick and creamy almost of a hair mask consistency.

The scent is actually really nice. I wasn't sure on how the figs and plums would affect what I expected to be sweet, gooey marhsmallow. They actually all really compliment each other really well. Giving a rich yet subtle, fruity and sweet scent. My hair is also feeling a hell of a lot smoother and softer and it's taken me a lot less longer than normal to brush through as normally it is very knotty and I end up with a sore scalp but after using this conditioner just once my brush glided straight through.

Now that my hair has started to dry it smells and feels like I have been to a top end salon rather than in my bathroom.

Now to brave the stores and try and buy some more.

Posted by
Ikkle87

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

As you have probably gathered by now, I love home made things, from things I have made myself, to wax tarts to toiletries. I've now received my Carina order and WOW! Carina is run by a lovely lady called Irina at the minute she only sells through a forum I frequent but I believe she is in the process of setting up an Etsy shop. She makes unique artisan perfume & luxurious, yet affordable, exquisitely scented toiletries and cosmetics. She is also trained in aromatherapy and often grows her own ingredients.

I received my huge order at the weekend but have so far only been able to test a few things. The main thing I have used is a perfume in The Wolf and the Cold One. Irina describes the scent as "The magick behind the relationship between Edward and Jacob from the Twilight series enfolded in this mixture. For me it meant finding a way to resolve the inner conflict between instinct and reason that lies in all of us. Even that neither Jacob, nor Edward are 100% human, their battle is. The magick of this scent lies in helping with the process of learning to trust your gut without overlooking reality. Jacob, the wolf, is the warm one, the instinct. For me that is sweet amber, spicy sugar, vanilla and cocoa butter, warm comforting scents. The cold one is Edward: reasonable, calculated, cautious and restrained. Woody and metallic citrus scents that provide guardianship, strength and immortality fit his nature. There are two lovely scented blossoms that heal bridges in inner conflicts, so I added them to the mix: apple and linden blossom.
Basically the cure is love."

I have to say I am so amazed by this perfume. I also ordered a shower cream and a body scrub in the same scent but the perfume has just blown me away. It's quite a sexy masculine scent. It smells absolutely devine on my skin and I LOVE it! The different layers of spice and sweetness blend perfectly to create this beautiful uniform scent.

I'm really rubbish at descriptions of late as my head is full of Math and Sociology stuff but this is one fragrance that I would definitely buy again. Its better than any fragrance I have ever bought in the likes of Boots and it was much more affordable too.

Monday, 24 May 2010

Ok guys, so the lovely Heather from Scents and Sparkles has donated a great little prize for you all so that one of you lucky people get to try some of her wax goodies.

The Prize is one tart burner and one bakery box.

The burners come in the above colours and the winner gets to choose which one they would like.

The Bakery box contains the following wax melts:

1Sugar Cookie

1 Mini Doughnut

1 Gingerbread Man and Woman

1 Pie Slice

1 Fondant Fancy

1 Bread Twist

1 Mini Pie

1 Mini Cupcake

1 Oreo Cookie

4 Mini Jammie Dodgers

To enter the competition please follow this blog/leave a comment stating what colour burner you would like if you win. Don't forget to leave some way to contact you incase you win. Either an email address or your twitter name.

Don't forget to check out the Scents and Sparkles website and have a look at the amazing things she has for sale.

Saturday, 22 May 2010

I'm currently reading Midnight Sun which is an unpublished and at the moment unfinished book by Stephanie Meyer which is part of the Twilight Saga. It is available to download on her website.

I like to listen to music whilst reading and love this song. It's by Sarah Barry Williams who penned other Twilight related songs including the track 'She wants to be Mrs Robert Pattinson'. The song above, 'Watch her sleep at night' is my favourite song of hers and I really wish it had been on the New Moon sound track.

Enjoy and let me know what you think. xx

Posted by
Ikkle87

Friday, 21 May 2010

I received another package from the lovely Scents and Sparkles yesterday. As well as a snap apart bar in Candy Corn and Vamp Vogue (yes I bought more of the lovelies) I also got some new treats to try.

Here is a picture of what I got and also my geisha burner.

I'm not going to review the Candy Corn or Vamp Vogue as you already know of my love for them. I shall however tell you about the other beauties. :-)

The pink snap apart bar in the middle is Crimson Orange and Berries. It's described as "a gorgeous limited edition summer blend of juicy crimson blood orange, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry & grapes" As soon as I opened the lid on the bar I was hit with the mixed berry scent. This smells exactly like a bowl full of fresh summer berries. Very fresh, bright and summery and very cheerful. A great scent for sunny days such as today and perfect for when it's a bit dismal too to bring a bit of cheer to the day. I expected this to be orange with a hint of berries but it's berries with a hint of orange. Really nice. Another one to be added to the re-order list I think :-)

Next up is a bag of mini jelly beans. I am a bit undecided on these. Whilst they look brilliant, and are great for a quick melt as you can put as few or many as you like they smell like real jelly beans. I know, I know your probably thinking well isn't that a good thing? You'd be right it is a great thing, if you like jelly beans. Personally I don't like the sweets they remind me of sitting in our local social club on a Sunday afternoon bored whilst the adults all had a good time and we would get 20p to get sweets from the machines. Don't get me wrong the mini wax jelly bean melts smell lovely they just remind me too much of my childhood for me to melt them as regular as I melt the other tarts I own.

The other two bags of tarts you can see in my picture are in the shape of hearts, hence the blog title. The lilac coloured ones are Fairy Dust scented and the pink ones have the Love Hearts scent.

Fairy Dust is one of Paris Hilton's perfumes and this smells exactly like it. It's described as being floral but the floral side is actually really subtle and musky. It's quite a universal fragrance, young yet mature, fruity and floral. It's quite a flirty scent too.

Love Hearts - "sweet sugar & layered in sour notes of various fruits & citrus" This instantly reminds me of those refresher sweets you can get. The chewy ones with the sharp sherbet inside. Citrussy, sharp, in your face, kick up the backside scent. Not the kind of thing you would melt if you were trying to relax as its very zingy and will definitely wake you up. This could come in handy for my exam revision although like many of Scents and Sparkles foody scents it might make me a bit hungry.

You will also see in this picture that there is a red solo tart. This was a freebie and is Cherry Pie scented. It is very cherry indeed. Vibrant red cherries, very in your face, definitely one for cherry lovers. I'm in a strange mood today and I am really tempted to lick this tart to see if it turns my tongue red like cherryade does. I don't encourage you to eat wax though, what a waste of something lovely that would be.

Overall another great purchase from the lovely Heather at Scents and Sparkles. I am in talks with her about offering you guys some of her loveliness as a competition on my blog, so stay tuned. :-)

Today I received a lovely little package from a fellow forumite. Some Posset's imps.

After hearing everybody I know on the Lush forum raving about Posset's and BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) I was really eager to try some. However both companies are based in the US, and whilst they ship to the UK I didn't want to spend a fortune if I wasn't going to like them. I already managed to get hold of 5 BPAL imps which I have been keeping in a little wooden box that I got in Ibiza last year. Even though the imps are sealed the box now smells amazing, it smells like incense and really reminds me of the hippy market over in Es Cana.

A normal bottle from Posset's is normally 7ml in size and BPAL is usually a 5ml bottle. The imp's come in little tubes similar you receive as a free sample from Beauty Counters in the UK, normally containing 1-2ml in each. Perfect to try the scent before you buy a full bottle and as the scents are so luxurious you only need to use a really small amount so an imp can last for quite a while.

Both the Posset's site and the BPAL site contain huge scent lists which are just too long for me to possibly go through so for more information you can view their sites on the following links:

Okay, so I think I will start describing the BPAL imps I own to you first.

The first one is called Velvet. It's description on the site is"Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh." In the vial I can really smell the sandalwood, its strong but not too strong, the chocolate scent for me is a little subtle. I have dabbed a little on my skin however and the chocolate is a little more noticeable but it's not as foody as I expected, the sandalwood and myrrh give it a spicy incense kick. After a little while the strength of the sandalwood has faded and whilst its still not an in your face dose of chocolate it's enjoyable and recognisable all the same.

Next up is Ophelia. Whilst I'm not really a floral scent kind of girl I thought I would give this a try. Described on the site as "Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose." It is a floral scent in the vial but it's not just flowers that you can smell. It's sweet and reminds me terribly of Parma Violet sweets. It's lovely but not quite me unfortunately.

Thirdly is Alice. "Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot." After the recent Tim Burton film there has been a real influx in the number of Alice in Wonderland themed items. This scent came before the film but I still thought I would give it a go. I was hoping that the milk and honey would be a little more promenant in this one but in the vial it smells quite strongly of the rose and carnation. On my skin though - wow! It smells powdery, creamy and sweet. Quite grown up with the hint of rose and carnation but not floral. Really beautiful.

Now to describe Shattered (which I generally am). "A scent as sharp as glass shards, and as brittle as a broken heart. The formula came to me - quite literally - in a dream, and is named after, and created in memory of, the last poem that I ever wrote… almost ten years ago to the day. A blend of white champagne notes, grapefruit, lotus, slivered mint and crystalline aquatic blooms." This is a real wake up scent grapefruit and mint. Totally in your face - fresh. On my skin this smells really cool and cold, it's really lovely like a citrussy summer scent, not as strong mint but theres the still that slight mintiness to it. I love it.

My last BPAL imp is Grand Guignol. "In 1897, a new form of entertainment was presented to the people of Montmartre, Paris: the Théâtre du Grand Guignol. During the course of an evening at the theatre, one would watch several small plays, ranging from crime dramas to sexual farces, a violent, throat-ripping, eye-gouging, acid-tossing good time, which always included shock topics such as infanticide, necrophilia, insanity, murder, paranoia, vengeance and death by common household object. Our Grand Guignol perfume is a shot of sweet apricot brandy; just enough to settle your nerves after a ghoulish, gory brush with the macabre." This is basically Apricot Brandy but in perfume form. Now I'm not keen on apricots and I don't much like brandy either. The smell of brandy is not quite so poignant on my skin I mainly pick up a fruitiness. This may sound really daft as a description, but this smells really happy and lively on my skin. Like a fun knee's up with my friends. Much more enjoyable on my skin than anticipated.

Now moving on to my Posset's imps. I was sent seven imps to try although two are the same scent. So I will be reviewing six imps in total. These imps would have cost approximately $10 + shipping direct from the Possets site which I think is really good value.

I've found it really hard to choose which one to write about first as there are some seriously beautiful scents.

I think I will start with Strawberry Heart. I love strawberries, the colour, the taste and most definitely the scent. The Possets site describes it as "Sweet, simple, lovely. Scrumptious strawberry untrammeled by anything other than the most perfect of vanillas. Other people dip their berries in champagne, let them, we have found the ultimate in indulgence. So. Very. Good. Have you ever noticed how strawberries look just like little hearts? Sweet, foody, innocent, girly, fruity, foody, gourmand,divine." Never a truer word spoken. This is absolutely 100 percent GORGEOUS! If anyone remembers El Campino sweets? That's what this smells of. Beautiful creamy strawberry sweetness. Like vanilla ice cream with strawberry syrup, mmmm.

Another foody scent is Pippin Pie. As most of you know I am on a weight loss mission, with the odd few treats. Well this perfume is definitely a treat. It smells exactly like apple pie. It's amazing. You can really smelly the buttery pastry and the sweet crunchy apples. I'm so tempted to pour custard on my arm and take a bite because it really is amazing.

The last food scent I chose was Giddy. "A great scent for those times when you feel...giddy. Chocolate and vanilla with lashings of a creamy sugar-buzz inducing fragrance which will make you feel like licking your arm. This is definitely one of the cutting edge foody scents which are wildly popular to the point of changing the philosophies of the great scent houses like Dior! If you want to be in the vanguard, this is your scent!" It really does smell like chocolate. Rich, decadent and grown up chocolate. Its really warm and cosy. Perfect for cold, rainy weather like we have in Yorkshire.

So after 3 imps, I'm ready to eat my arm's and raid the treat's cupboard. They were all real to life, smells like my favourite treats, beautiful. The other imps I chose are not food scented. I opted for emotions/feelings. You may see a theme ;-)

Adamus. Now this is a man's scent really. Described as making the wearer into a chick magnet. "This stuff will indeed make you a chick magnet. Sweet and amazingly sexy, it insinuates itself into her mind and lets you be the not-so-obscure object of her desire. Dry and sweet new mown hay (irresistible), is combined with tobacco flower (very attractive but non cloying), and my own concoction of sweet green moss and you can't miss. I like Adamus so much I have taken to wearing it (!), that is how much of an attractant it is. *sigh* Buy it for him or wear it yourself. " I have to say I agree totally with this desription. It's gorgeous. Very manly in a strong, seductive, lean in close and inhale kind of way. Now I just need to find a man. (Heaven help them with this and the Vamp Vogue wax tart from Scents and Sparkles)

Next up is Madame X. The website describes it as "Wicked, sinful, hedonistic, and irresistable. You may not have the heart to play the femme fatale, but you can at least smell the part. It's musky, creamy, enticing, perfumy, slightly foody, but very skin-like. It has a profound effect on men, they have no idea of what is bothering them ...it's you. It has a profound effect on the wearer as well. Since I created Madame X I have changed my hairstyle, bought a gorgeous black strapless long dress (and have a place to wear it) and many other disturbing personality changes, too. Don't miss out on Madame X. The more I wear this one, the more I love her." It smells to me like a creamy chocolate, but it's got more layers than just that. It's quite subtle on skin. Sultry and sexy, yet elegant at the same time. Really wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it does what it says on the tin ;-) .

Lastly I have Boom Boom La Rue, which just makes me want to sing the Will Smith song 'Boom Shake the Room'. Described on site as "A high keyed candy sweet kind of a scent, makes you hot just as you smell it. Very very sexy, a bit dirty, and well scrubbed! Big shot of air conditioner and atomic love in this one, too." It certainly is very sweet smelling. I've not smelt the primal dirty, raunchy sexiness which is supposed to come out from this perfume but it does keep changing on my skin.

Overall I think i prefer the Possets imps to the BPAL. Don't get me wrong they are all lovely but I really like the fruity, sweet food like nature that lies with in the Possets scents where as in BPAL I get a lot of floral tones. The scents change a lot on your skin, so what suits one person may smell totally different on another persons skin. It's because of that reasoning that I suggest if you are interested in BPAL or Possets that you go through their scent lists and try imps first. I am definitely very happy with some of the scents I have received and whilst the others aren't my favourites they are still lovely they just don't personally suit me.

Have you tried BPAL or Possets? Is there any scents you would recommend?

Posted by
Ikkle87

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Ok, so yesterday I mentioned my fitness plans. Well today I went through with them. I phoned the tanning salon Tanfastique this morning to book a Flabelos session for the afternoon. When I finished college I went into town and got the bus to the other side of Leeds. Or so I thought. I asked the driver to tell me where to get off, thinking that the big roundabout before the Crossgates centre would be enough of a description, silly me. So I ended up getting off at the wrong bus stop and having to walk a mile (I measured online when I got home lol) in an area I had no knowledge of at all. Luckily my mobile phone has built in maps so I was able to follow it to get to the right place. I also got attacked by a million and five green flies. I wonder how many calories there is in one?

The salon was quite nice, although I didn't get to see much of it. I was asked to fill in a little card which covered my name, address, age and then asked questions about my health such as diabetes, heart problems etc. Once that was done I was taken into a small room where the machine was. You have to take your shoes off but can keep your socks on. A member of staff showed me how to use it, there is a poster which shows you different ways to tone different areas such as the top of your arms, legs, upper body. You can also choose between lose weight, tone up and build muscle. I went for the lose weight and overall full body conditioning option.

So I climbed on board, legs evenly spread, straight but not locked as I was told. Then I pressed the start button. Whoosh.....first level and my body started to jiggle. After a minute or two the level increased and I could see my arse bouncing in the mirror at the side of the room. Whilst the board tilts quickly you automatically keep your posture held. When it moved up to the highest speed I thought my legs were going to fall off, I really could feel it working. The muscles tightened and contracted and pulsed and wow. All the way from my toes to my calves, my thighs, my hips, my stomach, everywhere! When it gets to the last 3 minutes it slowly slows down acting as a cool down. They say that a ten minute session is the equivalent of an hour in the gym. I can honestly say that's true. Did I like it? Will I go on it again? I already have a session booked in for tomorrow afternoon. It really was that good.

Then tonight I went to aqua aerobics. Walked there again. I felt quite self conscious because my swimming costume has no built in support for my boobs and it was short bodied and I really need a long bodied one with me being as tall as I am. So investing in a new swimsuit is definately on the cards. I was already on a bit of a downer because of the swimsuit then I got in the pool and I spotted two family friends. I stuck close to them and then the class started. The instructor can only be described as a female mini Hitler. Seriously. I'd be surprised if she had never worked in a boot camp because she was really strict and yet really motivating at the same time. Lot's of kicks, jumps, lunges, arm presses and using floats to act as resistance. The class was 45 minutes and cost £4.20, you can swim afterwards till 10pm. I did a few lengths and then I came home. I did really enjoy the class, it was hard work but that's what it's all about. The biggest problem for me was that I'm 6ft2 and it was impossible to do some of the moves in the shallower water so I had to keep moving down the pool.

Over all quite a success, don't ya think?

Posted by
Ikkle87

Monday, 17 May 2010

Well after a relatively healthy day food wise I have been pondering about how best to tone up. I want to try something new and fun and different that works and that will help to tone me up and tighten my skin up. I have done lots of research into different activities in my local area.

I never realised how expensive gyms were though! I am seriously considering renewing my 'Leeds Card' which is a card specially for people on benefits/students/under19's/OAP's. It gives them discounts for museums and things and also for the local leisure centre for activities such as swimming.

Tomorrow afternoon, after college I shall be visiting a tanning salon at the other side of Leeds for a 10 minute FlabeLos session. Flabelos is similar to powerplate and apparently a 10 minute session is equal to an hour in the gym. My slimming world consultant swears by it and so I thought I would give it a go. It is normally around the £4 a session mark but you can buy a months worth of sessions (16) for £30. For more info on Flabelos you can visit their site which also gives you a list of where the machines are. I'm seriously considering buying a month's worth of sessions but money is a little tight so I am thinking maybe a weeks worth and then I can go Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Which are the three days I finish early from college.

My local leisure centre also offers Aqua Aerobics. The class is at 7:30pm on a Monday and is local to where I live so I am going to go to tomorrows lesson and try it out and see if I like it or not. The advantage is that it's women only so I don't have to be too shy, and also you get an hours swimming afterwards so that's a bonus as even if I don't get on with the class I can do a few laps.

Finally, and this is the more wackier of the options. I have contacted someone about belly dancing lessons. Well I did say I wanted to do something different :-) . The class is on a Wednesday night and is run by a lady called Wendy. It's something I have always wanted to try, so am really looking forward to it. What better way to tone up my belly! Look out Shakira, here I come.

So there you have it. I have a few new options to try out. Some might work out for me, some might not. It's something new and different for me to try other than playing on the wii fit all the time which is fun but lacks that little bit of fun when your on your own.

Sunday, 16 May 2010

This morning the postman brought me a parcel. Whilst not many people get excited over a brown cardboard box, I knew what delights lay inside and couldn't wait to get the box open.

For several months now I have been a customer of a lovely lady who makes Wax Tarts. Similar to those of Yankee candles but more affordable and in my opinion a lot nicer. Her website is http://www.scentsandsparkles.co.uk/ and today was my latest order.

Heather is a very talented lady and her tarts are always of exceptional quality. As well as normal tart shapes and snap bars she makes novelty shaped tarts, and is also able to recreate the scents of other products such as Opium perfume or Lush's The Comforter.

Now I normally just order the normal tart shapes but on this mini shopping spree decided to be a little more creative and ordered Piggly Wiggly melts in Comforting Kiss. The detail on these pigs is astounding. They have little creases in their fat bellies, nostrils in their snouts, a curl in their teeny tiny cute little tails. The scent is a dupe of Lush's The Comforter which is one of my most favourite products. The scent is amazingly accurate, it's like paddling in ribena. I love it. My only problem with these wee little piggy's is that they are just too cute to use.

I also ordered some Frog shaped melts. Everybody knows frogs are green, so because I am influenced by sight as well as scent I opted for a scent which I thought would team well with the pale green colour. I opted for Citrus Sorbet Oriental. The scent is described as "top notes of mandarin, kaffir lime, lemon, apricots & peach, followed by middle notes of baby carrots, rose, nutmeg & violet, sitting on base notes of muguet, amber & fresh woods". The thing with wax melts is you get two different stages of scent. The naked scent - before you melt it, and the true scent - whilst it melts and fills the room with a gorgeous scent and adds another layer on to the afore mentioned naked scent. Naked, these frogs in this scent smell sweet and citrussy. Not an in your face smells like lemon and lime scent, but a grown up mature warm citrus scent. It's really fresh and clean smelling and is almost like being abroad on holiday as it's really summery.

I also ordered a bag of mini marshmallows. These are so convincing! One look at them in the bag and a quick sniff and I was having to fight to remove them from my little brothers paws as they really do look and smell like real marshmallows. The mini marshmallows are around one cm tall but I would say you get at least 30 in a bag. They are pink and white and look sugary and edible, the way all marshmallows should look, and the scent is called 'Pink Marshmallow'. Imagine going to the shop and buying a bag of Princess Pink and White Marshmallows getting home and just putting your head in the bag to breath in all the sugary sweet yummy goodness. With these melts you get just that. Warm, sugary, yummy marshmallows, without any of the calories - bonus!

Now onto the normal shaped melts which I ordered:

The first one is a tart in 'Nectarine Blossom & Honey'. This is a dupe of Jo Malones fragrance. Now Jo Malone charges £38 for a candle and as much as I love the scent I just can't afford that! Never fear though because I really do believe Heather's tarts are even better and whats more at £1 a piece for the tart which will last me at least 4 burnings I really can't go wrong. It's sunshine in a tart. Light flowers with fruit and warm sweet honey. It's one of those feel good scents. After a downer of a day this just makes me happy and feel care free. Lets hope the british weather takes note of this yummy tart and brings us some sunshine.

The second is again a dupe scent. Yet once again is a brilliant dupe if not better than the original. This one is Lemon Chiffon, which is a yankee candle dupe. It's sweet and creamy with hints of vanilla in there. Then there is the zestyness of the lemons which comes through. Again a really clean and fresh scent. Whilst welcoming and enticing at the same time.

The third tart I got is a food scented tart. It's the one which is going to be responsible for breaking my diet and making me gain weight! The scent is Candy Corn and it's new to Heather's scent list. Candy Corn is an American sweet, that you mainly see being handed out at halloween on American programmes. Kind of cliche. However the sweets themselves are absolutely gorgeous sugary vanilla-honey goodness, although being american they can be hard to get over here. This tart has just had me scouring the internet looking for a bag.....or 5. This is amazing, it's seriously like I have the bag of sweets with me and am delving in for handfuls. Its sweet and creamy and is the kind of scent that makes your mouth start to water. If you only ever try one of Heather's wax tarts, make sure it's this one. Wow is all I can say.

Lastly, I ordered a tart in Vamp Vogue. Now admittedly I am still perturbed by my want for Candy Corn but I think I can drag myself away from wax inhalation for just long enough to tell you about this beauty. Again this is new to her scent list, the scent is described as "a sexy gothic statement fragrance with top notes of blood orange, ruby red grapefruit & mandarin, followed by middle notes of geranium, bourbon, oak moss & dark patchouli, sitting on notes of black amber, sandal tree, cashmere & musk". I have to say I find the scent extremely sexy and quite horny, how I wish I had a man. The scent is sexy and sultry and has me thinking of nights of lust. It's quite a dark scent. One which I think I would use only at a night, it's really tempting and alluring. It's not overly fruity, but then again its not floral or woody. It's a very hard scent to put into words because of how beautiful it is so I shall try to use a statement to describe it the best I can. - Candles, black satin sheets, black crushed velvet, me, Bill Compton, Eric Northman, Edward Cullen, his brother Emmet, a bed and very little sleep. *le sigh*

Posted by
Ikkle87

Saturday, 15 May 2010

I have decided to restart this blog with a post about personal challenges.

As some of my friends and family know I have battled with my weight for a long time. Ballooning in weight from the age of 16 up to the beginning of February this year when I had that lightbulb moment that said this is enough. I joined Slimming world and have so far lost 3 stone 4.5lb and am really enjoying the plan and intend to keep going until I reach my target which admittedly is a long way off but is achievable and will be achieved in the near future.

So I am setting myself 3 mini challenges which you, my readers will hopefully be a part of.

Ok so the 3 weight loss orientated challenges are:

Be in a size 20 by August 31st 2010

Weigh 20 stone by August 31st 2010 - only another 2 stone 5.5lb to go!!!

To attend one form of exercise class a week, be it FlabELos or Aquaaerobics.